NOTE: Due to changes in the Rhode Island Personal Income Tax in 2010, the Renewable Energy Tax Credit is not available for systems installed in 2011, unless proposed legislation reinstates the tax credit. Be sure to contact the Rhode Island Energy Office for the latest information on this tax credit.

Rhode Island offers a personal tax credit for photovoltaic systems (on-grid and off-grid), solar hot-water systems, active solar-heating systems, wind-energy systems and geothermal-energy systems. The tax credit is equal to 25% of the system cost and applies only to residential installations. The credit is available to the resident or business that pays for the system.

Photovoltaic (PV) systems must have a minimum module size of 24 square feet, and must either be connected to the grid or to a battery-storage system. PV systems up to $15,000 are eligible for the full 25% credit. (A resident or business that pays for a PV system that exceeds $15,000 in cost will receive a credit based on a $15,000 system cost.)

Solar hot-water systems must have a minimum collector area of 34 square feet and must include a storage tank that holds at least 80 gallons. Solar hot-water systems up to $7,000 are eligible for the full 25% credit. (A resident or business that pays for a solar hot-water system that exceeds $7,000 in cost will receive a credit based on a $7,000 system cost.)

Active solar-heating systems must have a minimum collector area of 125 square feet, and must include a system for storing and/or distributing heat to the living area of a house. Active solar-heating systems up to $15,000 are eligible for the full 25% credit. (A resident or business that pays for an active solar-heating system that exceeds $15,000 in cost will receive a credit based on a $15,000 system cost.)

Wind-energy systems must have a rotor diameter of at least 44 inches and a minimum factory-rated output of at least 250 watts (W) at 28 miles per hour. Wind-energy systems up to $15,000 are eligible for the full 25% credit. (A resident or business that pays for a wind-energy system that exceeds $15,000 in cost will receive a credit based on a $15,000 system cost.)

Geothermal systems must have either a minimum coefficient of performance of 3.4, or an efficiency ratio of 16 or greater. All geothermal systems must have a commissioning sign-off by the manufacturer or distributor of the equipment to verify the proper installation and performance of the system. In addition, all geothermal systems must meet the following standards:

ARI/ASHRAE/ISO-13256-1 for water-to-air geothermal systems

ARI/ASHRAE/ISO-13256-2 for water-to-water geothermal systems

ARI/ASHRAE/ISO-13256 GWHP for groundwater heat pumps

ARI/ASHRAE/ISO-13256 GLHP for closed-loop heat pumps

Geothermal systems up to $7,000 are eligible for the full 25% credit. (A resident or business that pays for a geothermal system that exceeds $7,000 in cost will receive a credit based on a $7,000 system cost.)

To apply for the tax credit, taxpayers must first obtain a system approval from the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (RI OER), which is to be attached to the income tax filing. The RI OER website provides details on the criteria and application for system approval. Although the statute contains a provision for RI OER to certify contractors in lieu of requiring system certification, contractor certification procedures are not in place at this time.